


Sleepless Nights

by limmenel (elevenoclock)



Category: One Tree Hill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-09-23
Updated: 2003-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-18 01:17:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20630699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elevenoclock/pseuds/limmenel
Summary: After the basketball game, Lucas goes back home to contemplate his decision. Nathan, unable to sleep, sneaks out and goes to get his half-brother back out for a little more one-on-one.





	Sleepless Nights

That bastard. That mother fucking _bastard_. How dare he? He went off and publicly embarrassed his own brother, and didn't care. Damn him!  
  
Frustrated, Nathan kicked back the covers and pushed himself from the bed. His father was asleep downstairs, having stayed up to wait for him, and the clock read 2:00 AM. He'd have to be up in four hours to get ready for school anyways.  
  
But he couldn't sleep. Grabbing the basketball, faded and worn leather feeling _right_ in his hands, he slipped out of the room through his window and headed into town.  
  
~  
  
Lucas stared up at the ceiling, eyes wide and unblinking. He had fallen onto the bed when he'd gotten home, worn out from the hour he'd just spent on the court. But, despite the exhaustion, he couldn't sleep. At all.  
  
Visions of his brother- half-brother, he mentally corrected- filled his head. The look of utter shock, embarrassment, anger... the myriad of emotions that looked so utterly wrong on a face that was usually so haughty and grinning.  
  
And, against his will, he saw the sweat dripping from a face that shared very similar characteristics with his own. A face set in concentration as it faced his own. And he found himself wanting to relive that moment, to wipe the bead of sweat from his half-brother's face, to comfort the hurt boy in his arms.  
  
And, as a tapping sound at his window startled him out of his thoughts, he shoved the forbidden desires to a dark corner of his mind, where they belonged. A frown crossed his usually stoic face as he rose and moved towards the window. It was probably someone coming to congratulate him on the game.  
  
Instead, it was none of those. Looking up at his window was none other than the object of his thoughts... Nathan. Boy wonder in the flesh.  
  
The thought '_Romeo and Juliet_' fluttered through his mind as he spoke. "What do you want, Nathan?"  
  
"Can't sleep?" Surprisingly, the other boy didn't sound smug. He sounded... understanding, if that was at all possible.  
  
Shaking his head, Luc replied, "Nope. Still too wound up, I guess. And you the same, I take it."  
  
Nathan nodded. "Wanna play a little more one-on-one?" He asked. "Just the two of us. No crowds, no contest. Just a chance to unwind and relax a bit."  
  
Hesitating, Luc tried to figure out his game. When he could find nothing, he nodded and slipped a leg out over the windowsill. He was still in the same clothes he'd worn to play earlier that morning, as was his brother. "Yeah, let's go." He said.  
  
~  
  
It was almost four AM before they finally started wearing down. It was nice, playing against someone just as skilled as he was; not to brag, but it was difficult to find anyone close enough to his level to give him a real challenge.  
  
Nathan was the one who finally gave in, missing what should have been an easy block and allowing Lucas to score.  
  
"Tired?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Lucas nodded. "Same. Bout time to go home. I figure we can get an hour and a half of sleep tonight, and not be total zombies in the morning." He moved to lean against the hoop pole and closed his eyes tiredly. He didn't move until Nathan finally joined him, standing just a few inches away, watching him with an unreadable look.  
  
"I'm not going to be your best friend, all of the sudden." He said suddenly.  
  
"I don't expect you to be."  
  
Luc's laid-back answer caught Nathan off guard. "In fact, when we get to school, this little game never happened. We're back to being bitter rivals. Alright?"  
  
Smiling slightly, Lucas nodded. "I wouldn't have it any other way." He said.  
  
Finally, Nathan broke down and smiled too. Until he caught site of the growing bruise just above Luc's lip. Then he frowned. "Sorry about that." He said, raising one hand up to touch the mark he'd caused.  
  
Lucas tried to keep the waiver out of his voice when he replied. The warmth from Nathan's hand was flooding straight through his body. "It's alright. I'll get you back for it eventually."  
  
"Bastard." Then, hesitating only for a split second, he moved forward and touched his lips gently to the black-and-blue mark.  
  
Unable to stop himself, Lucas closed his eyes and moved his head down just slightly, and _there_.  
  
Bliss, perfection, warmth, heat, silk.  
  
And then it was gone, and Nathan ghosted a hand down his cheek before turning away and heading off the court.  
  
It took a moment for Lucas to get his breathing back under control. When he could finally speak, he called out to the figure that was quickly moving away. "Who's the bastard now, hm?"  
  
The sound of laughter carried back to him.  
  
When he got back home, Lucas fell back into bed. He was asleep within moments.


End file.
